In 1999-2000, international visitors to Australia spent an average of $4,066 on each trip. Visitors from China spent the most, averaging $6,070, followed by those from the United States of America ($5,899), 'Other Europe' ($5,411) and Indonesia ($5,279). The lowest average expenditure, $1,808 per visitor, was by visitors from New Zealand (table 22.12).

The largest expenditure items for visitors from Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and New Zealand were prepaid international airfares and food, drink and accommodation. The only exception was visitors from Germany, with a quarter of their total expenditure on package tours. Visitors from the United States of America spent about one-fifth (18%) of their total expenditure on food, drink and accommodation, around one-quarter (26%) on package tours and just over a third (35%) on prepaid international airfares (table 22.12).

Visitors from Asian countries also spent relatively large amounts on food, drink and accommodation. However, for most of these countries education fees also accounted for a large proportion of their total expenditure, with visitors from Indonesia and China spending an average of $1,400 and $1,076 respectively on education. The most notable exception to this trend were visitors from Japan, with more than half of their total expenditure going to package tours.

People visiting for 'other' reasons (e.g. education, employment, health) had the highest average expenditure ($7,126 per person) (table 22.13). These visitors spent just over half their total expenditure on food, drink and accommodation (26%) and education fees (25%). Business visitors had the next highest average expenditure ($3,941). Their largest expenditure items were prepaid international airfares and food, drink and accommodation (42% and 27% of total expenditure respectively).

22.13 AVERAGE VISITOR EXPENDITURE, By expenditure item and main purpose of trip - 1999-2000